Method of reclaiming stiffening material from compositions.



KTJED sra'rns ra'rnnr omen LEWIS S. WOODBUFF, (IF-ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, MASSACHUSETTS.

METHOD OF RECLAIMING STIFFENI NG MATERIAL FROM COMPOSITIONS.

No Drawing.

To all whom it may concern."

Be it known that l, LEWIS S. ll oonnnrr, a citizen of the United States, residing at Arlington Heights, in the county of Middletherewith.

" shoes.

It is a common practice to impregnate felt, woven fabrics, or woven fabrics having a fibrous filling, with a stiffening material which compacts the fibers and combines therewith to produce a hard, dense product.

This product may be in sheet or other form, according to the use to which it is to be applied. One important use of such sheets is in the manufacture of box .toes for The box toe blanks are died out of a sheet ofthis composition, necessarily having a substantial amount of scrap or tinkings surrounding the died out blanks.

The stiffening material is expensive. For example, a stiffening material frequently used includes wax, shellac, and other costly ingredients. It is therefore important, for

economical, profitable manufacture, to re claim the stiffening materials from the scrap.

occurring in the use of such stiffened fabrics. Heretofore, many attempts and expensive experiments have been made in the endeavor to devise some commercially practical method of reclaiming the stiffening material, but so far as I am aware, they have failed.

By the method about to be described, the stiffening material may be cheaply and ef fectively extracted from the fibrous material. An illustrative method for accomplishing this may be practised, as follows:

First, a mass of' fibrous materialimpregnated with stiffening "material, in scrap or other form, is subjected to heat and the temperature is raised sufficiently to soften the stiffening material so that it will be in more or less of allowable or liquid state. How-' ever, when softened, it is so sticky or gumlike that it still clings tightly to the fibers and is in a large degree obstructed by the compact mass of fibers. This renders it difficult to separate the stifiening material therefrom.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 3, wilt.

Application filed November 4, 1916. Serial No. 129,626.

I have discovered, however, that by subjecting the mass to centrifugal force, the stiffening material may be separated from the fibers. The fibers should be limited against outward movement by the centrifugal force, but the softened, flowablestiff ening material should be unlimitedand free to escape outward beyond the restrained fibers.

The mass may be introduced into a widow lated container and heated by steam or other appropriate means to soften the stiffening material and then the container may be rotated at a high speed, thereby generating a powerful centrifugal force which will draw the fiowable stiffening material out through the reticulations in the container, while the fibers will be retained therein. 1

The stiffening material is then collected in suitable molds or receptacles and allowed to cool and harden. This product will be of the same composition as originally used to stiffen the fabric, and may be used again by the manufacturer for this purpose.

other purposes, characterized by subjecting the stiff composition to heat to soften the gum-like stifiening material, and then forcing said stiffening material from the composition by centrifugal force.

2. A method of reclaiming wax and shellac from a stiff felt comprising fibrous material impregnated with wax and shellac, characterized by heating the felt sutficiently to soften the wax and shellac, and restraining thefibrous material While subjecting the felt to centrifugal force sufficient to separate the wax and shellac from the fibrous material.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LEWIS s. woonnurr'. 

